Hi, it’s me, Lulu. Going to the beach, to sunbathe is just not my thing. My skin burns at the first sunray. And, of course, there’s the terrifying idea of having to squeeze into a bathing suit. I do, however, love sitting on the beach reading or talking to a friend while listening to the waves and feeling the sea breeze tickle my face. My most fave time to go to the beach is in the very early morning or the late afternoon. Those times the ocean coolness drifts around the sand. Here’s the PERFECT-O piece of clothing to wear then: a beach poncho. It’s so LULU – cozy, comfy, loose and hangy. All the perfect words to describe what I think clothes should be. Here’s one I love: athleta.gap.com

It’s moi, Lulu’s big (but thinner) sister, Alexis. For my first blog post on beach fashion, I’ve gotta start with shoes! Forget those flappy rubbery things. For a glam-o-rama teen queen like me to be noticed on the beach, I walk onto the sand in high, chunky wedges. And, of course, I do it without wiggling or tripping on the uneven surface. Here’s the big wedgey secret: they are actually easy to walk in.
Here are great ones that go with every thing in every color: neimanmarcus.com

Dump all these ingredients in a blender and push a button. Whirl it up until it looks think and creamy. Pour into two glasses and – if you want to be fancy – add colored straws. The color looks good in the thick, white shake.

COCONUT SMOOTHIE – for two

**Two soft bananas
**Two Tablespoons of honey
**Two cups of coconut milk (the best is vanilla flavored but regular is good, too)
**1/2 cup of vanilla yoghurt
**Sprinkles of cinnamon

Plunk a handful of ice into the blender. Add all the ingredients except the cinnamon. Make sure you slice or break the bananas into pieces. Zoom the blender until all the ingredients inside are blended and frothy looking.
Pour into to tall glasses and sprinkle cinnamon into each glass.

No visit to Hawaii is cool unless you think about the nature and animals that are native and unique to the islands. In my new book, Lulu in Honolulu, there are two important things I do: help save a baby monk seal and help clean up alien algae in Kaneohe Bay.

**Monk Seals

Monk seals are native to Hawaii. They are adorable marine mammals. The problem is, they are almost extinct. There are barely a thousand monk seal left!
**Just in case you don’t know what a marine mammal is, here you go: she can live in water but also needs air and her babies aren’t born from eggs but are born live, like puppies or kitties.

When the monk seals are born they do not fear people. They do not believe they have enemies. This is why they are so easily killed. They do not know to get away ‘til it is too late. They are often killed in fishing nets and by fishing hooks. Even our trash going out to sea can kill them. So, it’s important to try and save each and every one. Here’s how you can help: monksealfoundation.org

**Killer Algae in Kanehoe Bay
Underwater in the bay lies a magnificent coral reef…but bad, alien algae, called limu, is smothering the reef and could kill it. The brown slimy killer algae isn’t native to the bay and if it isn’t pulled off, the coral reef underneath will die. And, that’s not even the worst part! The whole habitat in the bay will die off and that means the fish, plants, and creepy crawlers that eat, swim, hide and play in the watery reef world. Pulling up zillions of pounds of this slummy stuff by hand takes so long and requires SO many hands!

Now comes the SUPER SUCKER! It’s a little barge with a powerful underwater vacuum mounted on top. Here’s what it’s like: you know when you’re baking and flour and sugar accidently get all over the floor? Well, you grab a Duster Buster to suck up the mess. The Super Sucker is like an elephant sized Dust Buster that vacuums a stubborn gushy underwater plant.

I was doing some math. Two Super Suckers vacuum up about 5,000 pounds of algae a day. Each boat needs four divers to hold the sucking hoses. It would take 100 people working 10 days to pull up that much limu.
The Nature Conservancy has created this little wonder boat. Here’s more information about it: nature.org

If you ever get to visit Hawaii, you’ll get off a plane or boat somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Here’s some basic stuff you might want to know.

Hawaii is the name of America’s 50th state, and it’s made up of EIGHT major islands.

The crazy thing is that only one of the islands is called Hawaii. It’s the biggest of all the islands. The others, from largest size to smallest are Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. People can’t go visit Kahoolawe and Niihau. Only seabirds and military people go there.

Honolulu, where I visit in my book, Lulu in Honolulu, is on the island of Oahu. Of all the islands, Oahu has the MOST people. Oh and just so you know, Honolulu means “sheltered bay.” You can understand why hundreds of years ago people went there. The bay is protected from the waves and wind of the open ocean so it is a good place to leave your ship, boat, or canoe.

In Honolulu, there’s tons of stuff for kids to do. You’ve probably heard about Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor. They are amazing, inspiring places. Below is a list of places I go in my book. Hopefully, they are places you can visit – by looking at it on-line, in your imagination, or in person one day.

I love the parts of the island made by nature – volcanic lava and pounding waves. Here are places I go to in my book:

**Diamond Head
Diamond Head is actually a giant sized crater. It’s the remains of a huge volcanic explosion that happened 500,000 years ago. It looks like a high green grassy mountain and you can walk up it on a little trail. There are houses all around the crater itself.

**Hanauma Bay
The way super best place to snorkel in Honolulu. Hanauma Bay is a 101-acre horseshoe-shaped bay on the Southeast corner of Oahu. It formed when a huge crater crashed into the sea. World famous coral reefs are just below the water. They formed 32,000 years ago and turned the bay into a natural home for zillions of different fish and invertebrates (that means animals who wear their shells or skeletons on the outside of their bodies). This safe, calm bay was a fishing spot for the Hawaiian royal family. But after hundreds of years of fishing, the Bay almost turned into a fishy ghost town. So, the State of Hawaii did something soooo cool. They made Hanauma Bay a Marine Life Conservation District, which really means Hanauma Bay is a living underwater museum. . Parrot fish, goatfish, butterfly fish, and raccoon butterfly fish flick their fins and glide around showing off neon bright colors not found in any animals on land.

**Kualoa Ranch
Kualoa Ranch is a gi-normous private ra
nch that covers steep green Ko’olau Mountain cliffs all the way down to the Kaneohe Bay. Native trees and plants grow all over. The family who owns this ranch has kept it natural! Because Kualoa Ranch has everything from beaches and valleys to rainforests and lakes, movies, get filmed here all the time. It’s actually called “the backlot of Oahu.” You can visit and take a tour of where the movies were made on the ranch. You can also explore the beaches and valleys and views of this ranch by horseback.

**Kaneohe Bay
This bay is the largest of all the Hawaiian islands. It’s great to swim here because since it’s a sheltered bay, there aren’t huge waves. It’s on the North Coast of Oahu. It’s easy to see Kaneohe Bay by driving along the Northeast part of the island. And, it’s super cool to spot and big tall island that sticks out in the water. It’s Hawaiian name is Mokoli’I Makua. But, most people call it Chinaman’s Hat cause of the way it’s shaped. I always think it looks like that big yellow hat, that the man uses to capture Curious George. Remember that book?

**Halona Blow Hole
Thousands of years ago boiling, bubbling lava from an erupting volcano flowed into the ocean and created this tube, kinda shaped like those bags filled with frosting to decorate cakes. This lava tube formed into the perfect height for waves to flow into it. When the tube fills with water and the pressure builds and HUGE spray flies from the ocean into the air. You can watch it from a ledge above.

Beaches!!
There’s no beach that isn’t way amazing and beautiful on Oahu. It depends on what you want to do on the beach and where you are on the island. There are great beaches for surfing, wind surfing, and other sorts of sports that require balance I don’t have!
Here are the beaches I went to in my book. They are near each other and all picture postcard perfect-o. My only suggestion: wear SUNSCREEN!
Waimanalo Beach – in the Southeast corner of Oahu. It’s in the area called Paniolo (means rancher or cowboy countryside). This is a quiet beach with big Iornwood trees behind the sand – so there’s shade!
Bellows Beach — only a few miles past Waimanalo Beach, and it’s even more quiet and peaceful. Bellows Beach sits on a Marine Training Base and the only way to use the beach during the week is to come with someone in the military or be in the military yourself. It’s open to the public on the weekends. Gigantic iornwood trees also grow close to the sand here so there’s tons of shade, especially in the summer when the trees have thick, deep green leaves on top and pretty yellowy-green leaves underneath

Lanikai Beach – On the windward coast of Oahu. It’s a small beach in an area called, Kailua. Warm breezes and clear turquoise water make a day here feel like a real day in paradise!

Iolana Palace – Honolulu
This place is super great because it is America’s only real palace! Hawaii was ruled by kings and queens. Iolana Palace was built by Hawaii’s last king in 1882. When America took over Hawaii and the queen didn’t want to go along with it, she was locked up inside this palace and kept prisioner there! The whole palace is now a museum. It’s made with lots of Hawaii’s old natural resources, like Koa trees! (You gotta read about those in my book!)

Where to EAT!!
There are zillions of yummy places. Here are stops I make in my book!

**Bubbies Ice Cream
Bubbies Hand Made Ice Cream and Desserts look like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor from any American town. Black and white photographs hang on the walls. Great reviews about their amazing ice cream are framed around the place. A large silver milkshake maker and an old push key cash register sit on the counter. An American flag hangs by the ice cream case. A small sign hangs above everything else in the shop. It reads: “Beat the Heat: Eat More Ice Cream.” A big black board lists the ice cream menu. A separate smaller black board lists the daily mochi flavors. If you don’t know about mochi … well … you’ve got to read about mochi in Lulu in Honolulu!

**Alan Wong’s Restaurant
This place is fancy for Honolulu. In my book, it’s a cool place my parents go for dinner. The real restaurant has the yummiest food that feels both Hawaiian and ocean-y and tropical all at the same time. The kitchen is open in the dining room so as soon as you walk in you smell scrumptious ingredients and hear sizzling and simmering. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor of an office building in the middle of Honolulu. There’s no view of the ocean or beach. This place is all about delicious food. Perfect-o for me.

**Shirokiya Food Court
Stepping in here is like taking a quick trip into another universe. This cafeteria-style food court is full of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean dishes of all flavors, shapes, colors, temperatures, and textures. Here’s what I love here: dorayaki! These are warm fluffy buns that are filled with either custard or something called azuki bean, which is sweet and delicious. And shhhhh – if you ask, they will make you hot ones while you wait.

**Keneke’s
This place I go to in my book to get a Hawaii dessert called shave ice. It’s a mound of icy with whatever flavors you want….and all the exotic ones you could imagine. Keneke’s has a happy bright red and white stiped awning. They also serve amazing plate lunch! And, if you don’t know what that is … you’ve got to read Lulu in Honolulu!

**Leonard’s Bakery
There’s one word you need to know about Leonard’s: MALASADAS! These are Portugese donuts and Leonard’s makes the freshest, warmest, melt-in-your mouthy-ist in Hawaii. And, they’ve been making them at this bakery since in 1952.

SHOPPING

As you may know, shopping isn’t my thing. But, having a big sister who LOVES it, I do know something about it. Here are places I go in my book:

**Ala Moana Center
Ala Moana is the largest outside mall in the world. There are four levels of shops where you can find every kind of shoe, purse, dress, bathing suit, toy, jewelry, soap, make-up, and food. You can even find exact replicas of food made out of plastic. Here’s a super cool fact about this mega mall: all the power comes from solar energy (that means from the sun).

**SPLASH!
In the world of beaches and bikinis this store is stands out as having a gi-normous selection of bathing suits. They have zillions of tops and bottoms and they get new ones in almost every day all year round (because in HI people go to the beach all year round). SPLASH! has been selling suits in Hawaii for 30 years and, like the part in the book, they give every girl special attention.

Hotels – to stay or just to visit

**Kahala Resort
This is a fancy-prancy hotel but fun for kids like me because they really do have dolphins you can pet! You can even swim with them, if your parents arrange it ahead of time. This hotel is 50 years old and still glammy – it’s on a private beach and has a big swimming pool. There’s a spa and five different restaurants. I especially like the Plumeria Beach House which has the yummiest ocean front breakfast buffet …. just my thing!

**Royal Hawaiian Hotel
The big pink Royal Hawaiian hotel sits on ten acres of Waikiki beach. It has been there since 1927. The “Pink Palace of the Pacific” has royal in its name not only because it’s grand and huge and fancy but because King Kamehameha hung out in this spot of Waikiki after he conquered all of O’ahu. Oh, and Queen Kaahumanu’s Summer Palace was on what’s now the hotel’s Coconut Grove garden. Whenever you see a picture postcard of Waikiki Beach, you probably see this big pink building.

Hey Guys! Don’t you just love spring! Well… fortunately, in LA it’s always springy weather, but for those of you who live where there are actually real seasons, here are my ideas for a great warm weather outfits. Even here in LA, we pretend it’s spring and wear lighter clothes. If you are Lulu, like me, you want something comfy where your skin can breathe in the fresh spring air without being squeezed or over exposed to the sun. On top I would wear my fave spring sweater – A mint green pullover with buttons on one shoulder. Any bright, cotton, roomy sweater that would be the color of a spring blooming flower or new green leaf is perfect-o. For the bottom I suggest gray cotton skort. For shoes go with some patterned sneakers. Here’s a really cute pair.

Hi friends! Alexis here. For those of you who want real style here is a trés chic spring outfit. Wear some white cotton and spandex skinny jeans with a cream blouse. Then you’ve totally got to accessorize with any light spring color. I’d choose baby pink heels, with a matching beaded necklace. A tan Coach purse will finish the look for me.

This past weekend was a busy one for me. I spent all day, both Saturday and Sunday at the LA Times Festival of Books. An annual event that brings together some of the best authors around and readers of all ages. I met some pretty fantastic people including a couple of girls, the first ones pictured below that made my time at the event all worth it. These girls have never met but because of Lulu were brought together. The girl with the sunglasses mom over heard the other little girl talking about how she wanted a copy of the book and ended up buying her a copy. Such sweet people and such a nice gesture. We also had a few four legged friends stop by the booth to say hi. Oh and a special thank you to my friend and talented Chef Tricia Davey for making some of Lulu’s favorite, carrot cake bites. You’re the best.

Hi Guys! Monday is St. Patrick’s Day! Which means you need to find something green to wear. When I was little I would put on every stitch of green clothes in my closet. Now that I’m a wee bit older, I go for a cool message. Here it is, my St. Patrick’s Day casual look: As always I’ll have on one of my favorite soft cotton skirts. This one will be green… of course.

St. And, an extra reason I love St. P’s Day, Alexis tells me I look good in green because all green matches my green eyes!

Be Comfy, Lulu

Sister Style

Hey! I know that holiday dress can be way hard to nail, but I promise I’ve got ya covered. What to wear for this holiday is tricky because you don’t want to end up looking like a martain but you do want to be in the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day. Here is my festive but not too leprechaun-y look for St. Patrick’s Day: I’m going to be wearing a black silk layered dress.

To add a touch of Irish spirit I’m carrying an emerald green Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch and wearing greeny-gold heels. As a final touch some gold bangles and emerald earrings will finish off my look. This is tricky because you don’t want to end up looking like a martian but you don’t want to be in the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day.

Hola!!! St. Patricks Day is just a few days away and to celebrate I’m sharing with you some yummy green creations.

I really like Ireland because there is orange in the flag, and orange is my fave color. Living in Los Angeles, I think about Ireland lots because they have something we don’t have and really need: RAIN!! Ireland is like the rainiest place ever and the plants and trees soak it up. Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because it’s SO green from all the rain. From the dry, brownish LA to squishy, green Ireland: HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY.

Here’s a recipe for GOING GREEN:

Happy munching! -Lulu

I made these super-duper cute cupcakes that look like shamrocks, here are the ingredients:

2 Cups of flour

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 Cup of butter, softened

3/4 Cup of sugar

2 Eggs

1 Cup of milk

1 Teaspoon of vanilla

Green food coloring

Marbles

Frosting

Mint mentos

Black decorative frosting

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin pan with papers and place three marbles in the cupcake holder so it makes a shamrock shape.** Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, gradually mixing in the milk. Add green food coloring till it is the desired shade. Bake for 16 minutes.

Take green frosting (or vanilla frosting and add food coloring) and smear on the baked cupcake after it has cooled. Make sure the cupcake is cooled because you don’t want the frosting to melt. Take two mentos and place them at the top of the cupcake.

**Make sure you put the marbles UNDER the paper liner and NOT in the BATTER. You sure don’t want to eat the marbles.